Winners Announced For Inaugural Animation Is Film Festival

To promote the art of animation, GKIDS, Annecy Int’l Animation Film Festival, Variety, and ASIFA Hollywood, with major sponsors LA Times, IndieWire, Cartoon Brew, Fathom Events and Google presented the inaugural edition of ANIMATION IS FILM.  The festival took place October 20-22 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theater in Hollywood and was attended by a near capacity crowd.

Twelve new animated feature films in competition, with selections representing North and South America, Asia and Europe.  Classic animated features, including Walt Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and Pixar’s “The Incredibles” were also screened, along with a short film programs and a VR lounge.  Two films received the festival’s three key awards.

“The Breadwinner,” directed by Nora Twomey, won the Grand Prize, selected by the festival jury, and the Audience Award, selected by festival attendees. Twomey co-directed the Oscar®-nominated “The Secret of Kells” from Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon, the animation studio behind the Oscar-nominated “Song of the Sea.”  “The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales”, from Oscar-nominated Benjamin Renner (“Ernest & Celestine”) and Patrick Imbert, took home The Special Jury Prize. The film was produced by Oscar-nominated Didier Brunner (“Kirikou and the Sorceress,” “Triplets of Belleville,” “The Secret of Kells,” “Ernest & Celestine”).

Speaking on behalf of the entire jury, festival jury chair and Variety film critic Peter Debruge, said “‘The Breadwinner’ is not just an incredibly important film, but one that reminds us of the power of animation to communicate serious issues in the world. The films in competition this year illustrated the many techniques and possibilities of animation,” said Peter Debruge, festival jury chair and Variety film critic.  “Special Jury Prize goes to ’The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales,’ a comedy that celebrates the joys of traditional cartoon animation.”

The complete 2017 film lineup for Animation Is Film can be found at AnimationIsFilm.com.